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Ramadan Prayer Day 30 – Christian Attitudes About Islam

For many Americans, an awareness of Islam did not begin until 9-11-2001 when our nation was attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists. Prior to the attacks, Islam seemed a distant, somewhat exotic religion from the Middle East to many people. Since that time most American Christians have formed views about Islam and the Muslim people. In the book, Engaging Islam, author Georges Houssney identifies five common Christian reactions to Islam.

Fear is a rather prevalent attitude when it comes to Islam. There are different aspects of fear – some truly fear for their physical lives; others fear a loss of western freedoms and a systematic takeover of the U.S. by Islamists and still others have a fear of man – fear of saying or doing the wrong thing and insulting those who may have a different culture and belief system than their own. There is certainly validity behind our fears – it is estimated that somewhere around 171,000 to 176,000 Christians are martyred each year for their faith, and many of those deaths are the result of Islamists. Even in the U.S., there have been those who have gone into hiding as a result of threats against their lives because of radical Muslims. Throughout the past thirty days, the articles in the Ramadan series have shown there are indeed some Muslims who are attempting to turn our nation into an Islamic state.

Oftentimes, fear leads to the second common response to Islam – fury. Since 9-11, the fear of more attacks from Islamists has actually altered our American way of life and that understandably makes us angry. It is because of a group of terrorists from the “religion of peace” that we have to take off our shoes, carry small containers of liquids in tiny bags and stand in endless security lines at the airport. As Christians in our nation seem to lose more and more rights, it makes us angry to see that Islam is gaining more rights and compromise of truth in our nation is evident.

Ironically due to the fear and fury some Westerners have exhibited toward Muslims, another group of Christians sympathize with the adherents of Islam because of what they feel are unfair and vicious attacks against Muslims. These Christians exhibit another common response – fascination. They see Islam as an exotic religion with a rich, cultural heritage, but they fail to realize the teachings of Islam are markedly different from those in Christianity. There are Christian churches and organizations that open their churches for Muslims to hold Islamic services all in the name of “loving their neighbor,” but this love is misguided and even “unsanctified mercy”.

Forgetfulness is another common attitude. Christians are busy and there are countless other important issues that vie for our attention. Many falsely believe that Islam does not affect their day-to-day lives; therefore they are apathetic regarding Islam.

Finally some Christians respond to Islam with fatigue. They are tired of hearing about the latest outrage or offense someone has supposedly committed against Islam. From a call to shut down Nike shoes because Muslims thought a design on the heel of their shoes looked like Allah in Arabic to Muslim cab drivers refusing to allow passengers into their cabs with seeing eye dogs, some American Christians are weary of listening to the religion of perpetual outrage’s latest offense.

Fear, fury, fascination, forgetfulness and fatigue describe the reactions of many American Christians, however God calls us to react to Islam with faith. Faith that our God did not take a 1400-year coffee break, and is now surprised there are 1.57 billion Muslims in the world. He has a plan and a purpose for the Muslim people, and He has a plan and a purpose for each one of us.

As Christians, we must separate the system of Islam from the people. Fearful Christians do not share their faith or in order to protect themselves they water down the truth of the Gospel. Fascination also leads to compromise so we no longer have a distinct Gospel. Untruths or half-truths will never advance the Kingdom of God.

Fatigue can lead to exhaustion, and in a place of exhaustion we may find ourselves too tired to look beyond the religious system of Islam and see Muslims as individuals in need of the Savior. Forgetfulness can lead to apathy. Many Christians pray for God to send forth the laborers into the harvest, but few Christians actually believe they may be the very one God wishes to send forth.  The phrase “send forth” in the passage actually can be translated from the Greek as “cast out”. Maybe God knew in our reluctance that some of us would have to be “cast out” into the harvest.

Scripture says, love casts out fear and produces boldness. I John 4:7-18, “In this way, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness…There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” May we walk in boldness, presenting the gospel to those around us with love and pray as the early believers did. “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).

Fury, however can lead to strife. We cannot be faithful servants of the gospel if we are motivated by strife. The Bible tells us, “Be angry, but don’t sin.” There is a righteous anger that does need to rise up in every American Christian in this nation – not anger at Muslims, or atheists, or gays, or abortionists, but an anger at ourselves for not guarding and appreciating this unique nation, which God has given to us. An anger that motivates us to fall on our knees and cry out for mercy on behalf of our nation.

We have seen the past 30 days of our reports that Islam’s impact on American culture and on the seven spheres of American society has been significant. The inroads, the infiltration, the propaganda thrown at the western world has been incredible and thus far effective. We are playing “catch up” to many years of information warfare.  The only hope for the defeat of radical Islam is Jesus Christ, the Son of God … the only Way, Truth and Life. And it starts by inviting Him back into our nation.

PRAYER FOR ISLAM IN OUR NATION

  • Pray that the American people in our nation will be drawn to seek God on behalf of the United States — praying that we, as a people, will return to the God of our Fathers and to our foundational beliefs.
  • The Muslim people in our nation need their hearts prepared to hear the truth of the gospel. Pray that God will soften their hearts and that the Church will rise up boldly and confidently, with love, sharing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to the Muslim people.
  • Speak God’s blessings over the Muslim people!  Pray that “what our enemy [Satan] has meant for evil” God will turn it around for good and bring forth multitudes of Muslims into the kingdom of God. May God be glorified in the United States of America!
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Ramadan Prayer Day 29 – Government: Incompatible – U.S. Constitution and Shariah

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, famous for his plans to build Park51 (also known as the Ground Zero Mosque) two blocks from Ground Zero, stated, “I call America a shariah compliant state.” Perhaps Imam Rauf does not realize the U.S. Constitution was designed to keep government limited and restrained while shariah is designed to regulate every aspect of a Muslim’s life from the moment he is born until he dies. They are polar opposites in intent and execution.

Despite what Islamists want you to believe, the contrast is clear as you examine the U.S. Constitution and compare it with the dictates of shariah law. Shariah law is explained and documented in the Reliance of the Traveller, A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. The Reliance of the Traveller is endorsed by Al-Azhar University, the premier Islamic university in the world and the Fiqh Council of North America. The Fiqh Council is an affiliate of the Islamic Society of North America and advises and educates its members on matters related to the application of shariah in the North American environment. Let’s compare a few examples.

Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution states, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.” Shariah law states, “…the source of legal rulings for all the acts of those who are morally responsible is Allah.” (Reliance, a1.1, p. 2)

Article II, Section 1 gives the qualifications of the President. To serve as President of the United States you must be a natural born Citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident for 14 years. Article VI states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a Qualification for any Office or public trust under the United States.” Under shariah, the caliph (leader) must be a Muslim, a non-slave, male and from the Quraysh tribe. (Reliance o25.3, p.640)

The Constitution is declared the supreme law of the land in Article VI, yet shariah demands Allah is the source of legal rulings for all acts.

The Bill of Rights, containing the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution further restricts government. Amendment 1 of the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press…” Shariah dictates laws for “non-Muslim subjects.” Non-Muslims must follow the rules of Islam and pay the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya). Non-Muslims are prohibited from openly displaying wine or pork, reciting their scriptures, or entering Mecca. Non-Muslims may not build new churches or enter a mosque without permission. Non-Muslims will lose their “protection” by the Islamic state if they commit adultery or marry a Muslim woman, lead a Muslim away from Islam or say anything impermissible about Allah, Muhammad or Islam. (Reliance o11.0-11.10, p. 607-609).

The right of the people to keep and bear arms is guaranteed by the second amendment, but in Islam, anyone buying weapons cannot be at war with Muslims. (Reliance k1.2f, p. 380)

There are certainly more examples including the inequitable treatment of women and cruel punishments for crimes including stoning, scourging, cutting off hands and feet for stealing and death for apostasy from Islam. Islamists attempt to argue that those types of punishments would never be implemented in a modern country like the United States, however those punishments do occur in modern day shariah adherent nations such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. If current trends continue, it is possible that this could occur in our nation.

Those who wish to see legislation such as American Laws for American Courts are not trying to infringe upon Muslims right to worship, they are however trying to declare the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Unlike other religious laws such as Jewish religious laws and Christian canonical laws, shariah law attempts to control the behavior of non-believers and therefore is in direct violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT:

  • There is much deception and misunderstanding surrounding shariah law in our nation. Pray that hidden agendas will be exposed and God’s Truth will prevail.
  • Because shariah law is totally different than our U.S. Constitution, pray that our judges will have wisdom, insight and the courage to always align with the laws of our land.
  • Pray that our President, members of Congress, U.S. Supreme Court, governors and state government leaders will become enlightened to the differences between the U.S. Constitution and shariah law and fight the advancement of shariah across our nation.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 28 – Business: “Congratulations U.S. Taxpayer – You Are the Proud Owner of Shariah Compliant Products”

The American International Group better known as AIG is a massive insurance company that was considered “too big to fail” during the 2008 U.S. Financial Crisis. The U.S. government decided that if AIG declared bankruptcy, it would trigger the bankruptcy of many other financial institutions that had conducted business with the insurance giant. Beginning in September of 2008, the U.S. Government used more than $180 billion of taxpayer money to buy 79.9 % of American International Group (AIG) preferred shares in order to keep the company afloat.

AIG is considered a world leader in promoting shariah compliant financial products. Shariah compliant financing follows the dictates of Islamic law. 2.5% of the assets of a shariah compliant financial instrument (insurance, mortgage, investments, etc.) must be donated as “zakat”. Islamic scholars, serving on the advisory boards of shariah compliant companies determine how to distribute this money including giving the money for jihad.

In December of 2008, The Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) filed a lawsuit against the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Board. The lawsuit alleged that because the U.S. Government owned a majority portion of AIG, they were in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause since shariah compliant products promote Islam over other religions.  The Establishment clause states, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” The clause is typically interpreted to prohibit the establishment of a national religion and preference by the U.S. government of one religion over another.

The American Freedom Law Center reports additional information obtained during the discovery process for the lawsuit, which includes:

  • AIG has five wholly owned subsidiaries that promote and practice shariah.
  • The government places absolutely no controls on how its billions of taxpayer dollars are used by the shariah-compliant companies or to whom they support with their “zakat” (“charitable”) dollars.  Moreover, these companies all accept the mandate of shariah law to support jihad with zakat as long as they abide by the authoritative rulings of the world’s leading shariah authorities.
  • Over one billion taxpayer dollars have flowed through AIG’s headquarters into supporting AIG’s shariah businesses worldwide.
  • The Treasury Department has published, edited, and updated articles about shariah-compliant finance, which essentially promote Islamic law uncritically.
  • The Treasury Department has created and staffed a position called the Islamic Finance Scholar-in Residence.  No other religious law is so honored.
  • After the AIG bailout, in December, 2008 the Treasury Department co-sponsored a half-day conference called “Islamic Finance 101” for government policy makers, which was in effect a cheerleading program to promote shariah and shariah-compliant finance.

In January of 2011, a federal district court judge dismissed the constitutional challenge, and in June of 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the taxpayer who first brought the suit lacked standing to challenge the government’s use of taxpayer funds. The decision will be appealed.

PRAYER FOR BUSINESS:

  • Pray the American taxpayers will awaken to the “creeping shariah” that is taking place in our large financial corporations.
  • The subject of shariah-compliant finance is complicated. Pray that there will be a simplistic way for this to be explained to the average taxpayer so they will have wisdom and understanding to not become involved.
  • Ask God to bring revelation to our government leaders of the dangers of shariah-compliant finance, especially when taxpayer funds are supporting this (as with AIG).
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Ramadan Day 27 – Arts & Entertainment: “Appreciation or Proselytizing?”

Captain Paul Fields, a Tulsa, Oklahoma police captain who is described as an officer with a “stellar career” was stripped of his command, transferred to another division and suspended without pay for two weeks in 2011 because he refused to attend a “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.”

The event hosted by the Islamic Society of Tulsa included mosque tours, watching the Friday prayer service, meeting local Muslims, and receiving presentations on Islamic beliefs. The event was originally voluntary to attend, but because few people signed up the Deputy Chief of Police made the event mandatory saying that each patrol division should send six officers and three supervisors to the event. At the time, Captain Fields was the shift commander for 26 officers and 5 supervisors.

Captain Fields, a Christian, refused orders to attend the event because he felt it violated his Christian beliefs. He also informed his superiors that he would not require officers under his command to attend “if they share similar religious convictions.” He wrote in a memo that he believed the order was illegal and said the police department had never before ordered officers to attend an Appreciation Day at a religious venue.

According to a motion filed in federal court on behalf of Captain Fields, “unlike many of these other ‘appreciation’ events, the Islamic Event was advertised as involving religious content and religious activities, including proselytizing…Plaintiff [Fields] who understands Islam and its ‘dawa’ mission (‘the call’ or ‘invitation’ ‘to Islam’), knew that this event would involve proselytizing that was contrary to his Christian faith.”

As for the Tulsa Police Department and city attorney, they claimed the Appreciation Day was a “community policing event.” Captain Fields is suing for damages related to “his suspension, loss of command, transfer to the graveyard shift and loss of a promotion for at least a year.”  The American Freedom Law Center filed a motion for summary judgment for Captain Fields on August 14, 2012, and the case is expected to go to trial in December.

PRAYER FOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

  • In western society, a “Day of Appreciation” would be considered a time to be appreciated and entertained, not a day of proselytizing. Pray that Muslims will understand the separation between Church and state that Americans hold dear.
  • Pray for Captain Paul Fields that through this event he will be a Godly witness to other members of the Tulsa Police Department and to members of the Islamic Society of Tulsa. He has stated that he does not have a problem with Muslims. He believes the mandatory requirement to attend the event by his employers violates his first amendment rights.
  • Ask God to vindicate Captain Fields by seeing him returned to his position on the police force and to receive restoration of all he has lost.
  • Pray that police officers across the United States will not be forced to compromise their spiritual beliefs in regard to their employment and have the freedom to live their faith without being reprimanded.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 26 – Media: “A Self-Censored Press Is Not Free”

The Society of Professional Journalists, considered the trade guild of the U.S. press corps, states their mission is “dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.” On the website the Society lists eight goals including, “To maintain constant vigilance in protection of the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press.”

Pertaining to the press, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech or of the press;” This means our government cannot censor or control the press, however, when it comes to Islam, it is not our government, but self-censorship by the press that has whitewashed the threat of Islamic fundamentalism.

Following the 9-11 attacks by Muslim jihadists on our nation, The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) passed a resolution in October 2001 urging members to avoid racial, ethnic and religious profiling in covering the “War on Terror.” As part of this resolution, the Society published guidelines for journalists including the following:

  • When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacists, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity.
  • Avoid using word combinations such as “Islamic terrorist” or “Muslim extremist” that are misleading because they link whole religions to criminal activity. Be specific: Alternate choices, depending on context, include “Al Qaeda terrorists” or, to describe the broad range of groups involved in Islamic politics, “political Islamists.” Do not use religious characterizations as shorthand when geographic, political, socioeconomic or other distinctions might be more accurate.
  • Avoid using terms such as “jihad” unless you are certain of their precise meaning and include the context when they are used in quotations. The basic meaning of “jihad” is to exert oneself for the good of Islam and to better oneself.
  • Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions.

White supremacists and anti-abortionists have never murdered over 2,700 people in the name of their god. Al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden made it quite clear in fatwas (Islamic religious rulings) through the years that it was the duty of all Muslims, not just members of al-Qaeda to attack America. Proof that other Islamist groups were involved in the 9-11 attacks has since emerged. A federal district court judge ruled in December of 2011 that Iran and Hezbollah materially and directly supported al-Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Jihad can be a personal struggle, but it is also a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty. Dr. Muhammad Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti, Al-Azhar University Islamic scholar, in the book Jurisprudence in Muhammad’s Biography wrote, “The Holy War (Jihad), as it is known in Islamic Jurisprudence, is basically an offensive war.  This is the duty of Muslims in every age when the needed military power becomes available to them.  This is the phase in which the meaning of Holy war has taken its final form.  Thus the apostle of God said: ‘I was commanded to fight the people until they believe in Allah and his messages…”

Finally, groups with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood such as the Islamic Circle of North America and the Council for American Islamic Relations were the ones asked by our media to review their coverage and make suggestions. In an attempt to be “politically correct” and adhere to these guidelines, our media has allowed Islamists to control the information regarding radical Islam.

These guidelines have allowed Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood to keep average Americans ignorant of the agenda and the threat of shariah adherent Islam to our nation.

PRAY FOR MEDIA:

  • Pray for the media – that those who do not understand the truth about Islam will receive revelation and the self-censored media coverage of Islam will cease and truth will be revealed to the American people.
  • Pray for journalists to be courageous and bold in their coverage and to uncover the “doublespeak”.
  • Just as communism keeps people in bondage to the system, Islamic shariah law keeps Muslims in bondage.  The Muslim people are not the enemy to our form of government – rather the enemy is the system of shariah (Islamic) law.  Ask God to expose the truth of shariah law to our government, educators, media, and the citizens of our nation.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 25 – Religion: “Is a Mosque the Same as a Church?”

FrontPage Magazine recently reported about “The Mega Mosque Boom” currently taking place. Mosques with proposed capacities from 7,000 seats to the more modest 2,000 proposed for the Ground Zero mosque are being built in western nations around the world. Foreign Muslim governments fund many of these mega mosques – especially in areas where the local Muslim population is not large enough to justify a mega mosque.

Many Americans, familiar with houses of worship such as churches and synagogues, believe a mosque is simply a place for Muslims to go and worship. They think of a mosque as an “Islamic church.” In reality, a mosque is much more than a place of worship for Muslims.

Because Muslims believe Muhammad is their perfect example, mosques are modeled after the very first mosque Muhammad established in Medina.  Dr. Sam Solomon, a former Muslim professor and shariah law expert, explains in the New English Review, “A mosque, totally unlike a church or a synagogue, serves the function of orchestrating and mandating every aspect of ‘life’ in a Muslim community from the religious, to the political, to the economic, to the social, to the military.”

Muhammad’s mosque was the seat of power – the place and symbol of Islamic rule. American Thinker describes it, as “a seat of government, a command center, a court, a school, and a military training center and depot for arms.” The mosque is considered the command center of Islam.

The number of mosques in the United States has increased by 74% since the year 2000. Many mega mosques are being built in areas with small Islamic populations. This tactic in Islam serves to show non-Muslims the superiority of Islam, and to encourage Muslims to migrate to an area. In the book, The Mosque Exposed, Dr. Solomon says, “Migration is legally obligatory on a Muslim as preparatory to other forms of jihad for the victory of Islam and Muslim in other countries.”

In addition to building large mosques and encouraging Muslims to migrate to an area, radical Islamic groups control the literature in the majority of American mosques. A 2005 study conducted by Freedom House called “Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Invade American Mosques” gathered samples of over 200 hate texts sponsored or generated by Saudi Arabia and found in 80% of American mosques. These books include instructions for American Muslims such as, “Be dissociated from the infidels, hate them for their religion, leave them, never rely on them for support, do not admire them, and always oppose them in every way according to Islamic law”

PRAYER FOR RELIGION:

  • Pray that our political leaders, our citizens and the media will realize many mosques are not “Islamic churches,” but rather command centers for a system that desires the overthrow of the western governments.
  • Pray that Muslims who are not radical and do not desire to live under shariah law will expose those within their community who are attempting to force Islam on western nations.
  • Based upon Mark 4:22, Ask God to reveal anything of darkness that may be hidden (in the mosques).
  • Ask God to open the eyes of those who worship in the mosque and reveal the One who is Truth, Jesus Christ.
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Ramadan Prayer Day 24 – Family: “Marriage in Islam”

The Orlando Sentinel reported this week that Khalid Abeljawwad Mohd, a 41 year old Muslim man found guilty in June of attempted first degree murder and other charges was sentenced to life in prison. Mohd tried to murder his wife, Rema Jamel after she asked him to help her extend her visa to stay in the United States. He told her he did not plan to help her, but he wanted her to go back to Jordan leaving their sons with him, because he intended to bring his second wife from Jordan to the United States. The couple argued and Jamel testified that her husband became so angry with her that she tried to call police, but he removed the phone line from the wall so she could not call. When she tried to leave to go to a neighbor’s house he poured lighter fluid on her, pushed her to the floor causing her to black out. While she was unconscious, he set her on fire. Her children told police they heard their parents arguing and said their mother was on fire with “yellow stuff” dripping from her body.

This tragic story demonstrates a stark contrast between the concept of marriage in Christianity and in Islam. In a Muslim marriage relationship a woman is considered a possession of her husband. “Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons, heaped-up hoards of gold and silver…” (Surah 3:14) Under Islamic sharia law, polygamy is allowed and a man may marry up to four wives at one time. “Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four…” (Surah 4:3)

In addition, both Shiite and Sunni Muslim men can engage in “pleasure marriages” – a temporary “marriage” for the purpose of having sex. These marriages known as “Mut’ah marriage in the Shiite sect can last as long as several years to a few hours. An article in the Daily Beast interviews a young Lebanese Shiite Muslim from Brooklyn named Ali Selman who has had 25 temporary marriages in the past ten years.  According to him the woman in the relationship must say, “I marry you, myself” and the man replies, “I accept,” and a token bridal gift such as chocolates must be given. According to Muhsin Alidina, a Shiite Muslim scholar in Queens, there is more to the contract than some Muslim men believe. It must be a mutually accepted arrangement with a bridal gift of cash paid to the wife. The wife must also stay single for two menstrual cycles after the relationship ends to make sure she is not pregnant. If there is a child conceived, the husband is responsible.

In Sunni Islam, the pleasure marriages are called “misyar marriage.” Because the practice was becoming more popular the Institute of Islamic Religious Law issued a fatwa [an Islamic religious ruling] permitting the marriages in which, “the woman relinquishes a home, financial support, and her part [in joint life] with her husband, or part of it, and consents to the man’s coming to her home whenever he wants, day or night.” A Saudi matchmaker told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, a London daily newspaper, that following the fatwa she began getting 15 to 20 requests each day from men requesting such marriages.

Because women are seen as property, pleasure marriages and polygamy are both acceptable. Quite the contrast to the Bible’s command, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25)

PRAYERS FOR FAMILY:

  • Pray for healing and restoration for Rema Jamel and her children. Burned over 75% of her body, she is permanently disfigured and in constant pain. Doctors have told her she will need about a dozen more surgeries.
  • Pray for young women from a western background that may be considering marriage to a Muslim man. Pray that they will be aware of the teachings of the Islamic religion regarding marriage and understand their lack of rights if they marry a Muslim.
  • Pray for Christian couples, that their marriage will be an example of the love of Christ for His Church.
  • Muslims who become Christians oftentimes report that what drew them to Christianity was seeing the inspiring difference in the life of a Christian near them. Ask God to enable Christian couples in strong, faith filled marriages to serve as living witnesses to Muslims in their communities.
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Ramadan Day 21 – Arts & Entertainment: A God Too Small For Criticism

The modern day assault on the arts and entertainment field by Islamists began in 1989 with the issuance of a fatwa against novelist Salman Rushdie, by the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini. A fatwa is a religious decree issued by a recognized religious authority in Islam. In the case of Salman Rushdie, the fatwa called for his death because of his novel, The Satanic Verses, which Khomeini considered an insult to Islam.  Khomeini declared, “I would like to inform all the intrepid Muslims in the world that the author of the book entitled ‘Satanic Verses’…as well as those publishers who were aware of its contents, are hereby sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Moslems to execute them quickly, wherever they find them, so that no one will dare to insult Islamic sanctity. Whoever is killed doing this will be regarded as a martyr and will go directly to heaven.”

Within 72 hours of Khomeini’s declaration, six people were killed and more than 160 were wounded in violent demonstrations in India and Pakistan about the book. Salman Rushdie went into hiding. Four days later he issued an apology to the followers of Islam, but Khomeini stated that even if Rushdie repented, Muslims still needed to kill him. Two bookshops carrying the novel were firebombed, and unexploded devices were found at several others. Rushdie again tried to make amends and issued a statement bearing witness that “there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his last prophet” to no avail. Even after Khomeini’s death, Iranian clerics continued to call for Rushdie’s death. The Japanese translator of the novel was stabbed to death in a knife attack, and Italian translator seriously injured in a similar attack. The Norwegian publisher of the novel was shot.

The tactics of the Islamists have not changed in the twenty plus years since the publication of The Satanic Verses. On September 30, 2005, Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, published an article called “Muhammeds ansight” which means “The face of Muhammad”. Portrayals of Muhammad are not prohibited within the Qur’an, however there are hadiths, which forbid Muslims from creating any visual representations of figures. The article consisted of 12 cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. Flemming Rose, the cultural editor of the newspaper said, “The cartoonists treated Islam the same way they treat Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point. We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including, rather than excluding, Muslims.” The Islamists however were not interested in the satirical portrayal of Muhammad and responded four months later with violence including the bombing of the Danish embassy in Pakistan, setting fire to the Danish Embassies in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran along with protests resulting in more than 100 deaths.

This type of behavior is not unfamiliar when western society meets Islam. Because of the threat of violence, far too often westerners simply practice self-censorship and refuse to treat Islam the same way they treat other religions. For instance Random House, because of the threat of a violent reaction refused to publish The Jewel of Medina, a novel about Aisha, Muhammad’s six-year-old wife. It is a historical fact that Muhammad married a six-year-old girl and consummated the marriage when she was nine, yet to state that fact could be considered slander if what you say offends a Muslim.

In Islam, it does not matter if what you say is true. Slander is defined as anything that offends a Muslim, and slander in Islam may be punishable by death.

PRAYER FOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Rather than giving in to demands of the radical Muslims, pray that Westerners will stop allowing intimidation to cause them to become silent and compliant.
  • Pray that God’s Truth will prevail and continue to be a defense against slander within western nations.
  • Pray that Muslims will start to question why their god is so small that they must defend their religion with violence.
  • Ask God to reveal to all Muslims that there is a better way by showing them the love of God through Jesus Christ.
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Ramadan Day 20 – Business: Forced Concessions in the Workplace

In the Center For Security Policy’s series, the Muslim Brotherhood in America, Frank Gaffney points out “stealth jihad techniques” the Brotherhood is using to accomplish their mission of “civilization-jihad.” One of the techniques is to demand concessions from Western individuals and businesses.

One example of concessions Muslims have tried to insist upon include taxi drivers in Minneapolis refusing to carry passengers possessing alcohol or even more incredibly blind passengers because shariah compliant cab drivers consider Seeing Eye dogs “haram” or forbidden. In a five-year period of time 5,400 passengers were turned away from taxi service by Muslim cab drivers. Eventually the airport commission voted to enact penalties for taxi drivers who refused passengers.

In another example, a company was sued even though they never hired a Muslim applicant for a job. An Ellicott City, Maryland assisted living center, Morningside House, must pay $25,000 and undergo mandated religious discrimination training for supervisors, managers and anyone involved in the hiring process as settlement for a lawsuit against the facility. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged that Morningside House did not hire the Muslim job applicant because she refused to remove her hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women.

The interviewer, expressing concerns that the hijab may interfere with her duty to work as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) simply asked the applicant if she would be willing to remove her hijab. The applicant replied that she had worn the hijab during her training and it had not interfered during that time.

The applicant was told she would be contacted if they were interested in hiring her. She was not contacted. After the interview process the company did hire ten CNAs in September 2010. The press release regarding the lawsuit did not contain any details regarding the number of applicants or their qualifications compared to the Muslim applicant.

The EEOC charged that not hiring the Muslim woman was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to “accommodate an employee’s or applicant’s sincerely held religious beliefs unless it creates an undue hardship.”

More incredibly, in a attempt to “accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs”, Wegman’s, a supermarket in Rochester, NY set up a special checkout line for a Muslim cashier directing customers to go to other lines if they have pork or alcohol.

Morningside House is not the first American business that has been sued by the EEOC on behalf of Muslims. Other American companies who have been sued by Muslim women desiring to wear a hijab include American Airlines, Alamo Rent-A-Car, Abercrombie & Fitch and Disney. In 2009, the EEOC received 1,490 complaints from Muslims, the fifth consecutive year the number of complaints rose.

Although it is important to support the freedom of religion, American businesses should also have the right to hire applicants of their choice. In our nation, adherents of other religions who may have a religious objection to an employer’s policies simply find another job. Demanding special accommodations for the Islamic religion in the workplace is an exploitation of American principles, and the first step of forcing American business principles to bow to Dhimmitude (the subjugation of non-Muslims by Muslims).

PRAYER FOR BUSINESS:

  • Our American system allows individuals to change jobs and work in the place of their choice. Conversely, businesses should have the right to hire applicants of their choice. Pray our government will not force businesses to accommodate one religion more than others.
  • Pray that Muslims in our nation will assimilate into the Western culture rather than demanding Western culture adapt to their demands.
  • Christians in the workplace are representatives of Christ. Pray that they will be righteous witnesses and reach out in a Christ-like manner to those around them, including Muslims.
bestcurrentnews Ramadan Prayer

Ramadan Day 19 – Education: “Interreligious University – Compromising Education”

On September 6, 2011 the newly formed Claremont Lincoln University officially opened. “Claremont, a Methodist institution dating back to 1885 has partnered with the Islamic Center of Southern California, the Academy for Jewish Religion and the International School for Jain Studies” [Jain is an Indian religion] to create the world’s first interreligious university. This is the first multi-religious program of its kind offering a curriculum that allows religious leaders to cross-enroll in programs that train Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders. Other Christian institutions such as Hartford Seminary train imams, but this is the first to include Jewish and Jain studies. The university hopes to eventually add Hinduism and Buddhism studies to the project.

The university will train rabbis, imam and pastors from many denominations. According to one report, “the Claremont Lincoln University will be a space where future religious leaders and scholars can learn from each other and collaboratively seek solutions to major global issues that no one single religion can solve alone.” Claremont claims they are not watering down Christianity but are taking “Christ’s commands to be peacemakers and to love our neighbor as ourselves seriously.”

In order to understand the basis for this university, it is helpful to look at the founders. Rev. Jerry Campbell, Rabbi Mel Gottlieb and Imam Jihad Turk are the co-founders of this new model of education. These three men met regularly each month for a year picking a theme, preparing and then spending a couple of hours with each other discussing what their various texts said.

Perhaps most revealing about the future direction of the university is an account about one of these meetings from an article written by Rabbi Gottlieb:

For this session, Imam Turk chose a text from the Quran that is often interpreted as meaning that those who don’t believe in Islam cannot obtain salvation. He pointed out, however, that capitalizing the word Islam in this case is a fundamentalist translation. It implies that those who believe the religion of Islam are superior. Other texts in the Quran (such as 2:62) contradict that assumption.

In fact, said Imam Turk, the correct scholarly translation of this text is to spell islam with a lower case “i,” using the word’s literal meaning: submission/yielding (to God). Since Christians, Jews and other spiritual people, as well as Muslims, yield to the Divine, they are all included in the word islam.

So according to at least one of the founders he believes all spiritual people are included in Islam. In addition, Imam Turk left out the Qur’anic verses preceding sura 2:62 that basically says if Arab pagans, Jews and Christians are in doubt concerning the Qur’an they should fear the fire of hell which is prepared for disbelievers (sura 2:22-24).

There is One, Jesus Christ, who is Truth. The scriptures warn that we are not to compromise the truth. The Word of God in II Tim. 3:7 tells us there will be those who are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

PRAYER FOR EDUCATION:

  • Pray for a move of God’s Holy Spirit among the students at this and other universities around our nation. Pray that the God of Truth will reveal Himself to every student and professor who have ever confessed the name of Jesus Christ as Savior in such a way that there is no room or desire for compromise.
  • Pray that Muslim, Jewish and Jain students at this historically Christian University will have an encounter with the God of John Wesley and the fire of His Spirit that will fundamentally change the atmosphere of the academic world.